Where Have the Hero's Gone?
by Uzume
Summary: I wish we had hero's in our world... we sure could use 'em. -- Just a story about Piccolo saving a child. If you don't like reading stories with child abuse then don't read. It's not very graphic though. More people need to think about things like this...


Where have the hero's gone?

A/N- This story began after I watched a really awful movie about child abuse/ molestation and all that. No humor from the Zoom this time. If this sort of thing bothers you(which it should), but if you don't like reading about abuse… then don't read. 'kay? By the way, I no own DBZ. I own Azriel though. And he sure is a cutie when he grows up. Too bad this is a one-shot. ^^

***

The heat of the day was finally wearing off when Piccolo settled down for a quiet evening of meditation. A slow, gentle breeze and the rush of a waterfall made this task much easier than usual. And Piccolo felt energies surge up all around him as he slipped into a trance. All the things around him… trees, birds, squirrels, rabbits… became truly alive in his mind. Alone he was in mind… but not in spirit. _If only humans could feel this. This peace. Perhaps they would not be so quick to destroy it. _He thought. _Of course, I've not always had the resp-. _Piccolo opened his eyes, he had felt something. A frantic energy. Coming right toward him.

It was not Gohan. Or any of his other allies… he knew this immediately. But, still. Someone was very much upset, or in trouble, maybe needed help. With a heavy sigh, Piccolo stood. He had learned something from spending so much time with the 'good guys'. As one of the strongest people in the world, he had a duty to protect those who could not protect themselves. This did not mean he would go running around in a ridiculous outfit saving humans from their daily troubles. Such as Gohan was doing now, identity hidden behind 'The Great Saiya-man'. Pathetic. However, having such power as he did, Piccolo would help if the situation presented itself to him, which was about to happen. For the energy was coming closer and Piccolo could hear the rustle of leaves. Twigs snapping. Heavy breathing.

A little blur ran right at him from behind a tree, smacking into his legs and falling back. A boy. The child looked dazed and confused at first, but finally looked up to see what he had bumped into. He promptly screamed and backed away, kicking his feet out as his scooted backwards. 

"No, no, no…" The boy panted… he was crying, Piccolo noticed. "Don't hurt me…"

"Knock it off, boy. I'm not going to eat you." Piccolo rolled his eyes, kneeled down and grabbed the boy's foot, yanking him forward. The human child only managed to cry harder, kicking at the perceived threat. "I'm not going to hurt you. So stop it already!" No reply. Only rough sobs that made the boy's body tremble almost violently. "I'm gonna let you go. Calm down, okay?" The boy nodded quickly and indeed stayed put after Piccolo released him.

"Wh-who are you?" The kid asked, his breaths slowing, his sobs calming.

"Piccolo. And you?"

"A-Azriel…" He stuttered. "Please, let me go… I-I have to get away…"

"Away to where?" Piccolo asked, sitting down in front of the boy. Azriel hiccuped and looked away from me. 

"I… just have to go. Can't you please just let me by?"

"Of course. As long as you are well aware what is out there. Quite a few monsters… now that it's getting dark especially." Piccolo showed no emotion towards the boy's distraught expression. _Perhaps it will be easier to get the boy to talk after he realizes I mean him no harm. _He thought. "How old are you, boy?"

"I-I'm 8 years old." Azriel began to cry hard again. "PLEASE! He's behind me… you have to let me go!!"

"Who is after you?"

"M-my dad. He's very mad at me… I don't want him to catch me."

"You should not run from your father…"

"I have to! I can't stand it anymore… it hurts so bad… and I can't stand it. No one cares… he's all the family I have. No one knows. They can't know. And I have to get out of here… and you won't let me by… and he'll catch me soon…and, and…" Azriel words were cut off by harsh sobs. The child curled up on his side, ignoring Piccolo completely now. 

"Kid… hey… get up." Piccolo nudged the child, but got no response. It was then that he heard the shouting. And the heavy footsteps. Standing up quickly, Piccolo floated to a high branch in a tree to watch the scene play out. 

"BOY! Where are you!!? When I find you-"A man's voice echoed through the steadily darkening forest. And the owner of the voice entered the clearing where Azriel was laying. "There you are. Leaving when we have work! You're gonna get it for this boy. Leaving Bill waitin'…"

"Please, daddy… Bill hurts worse… please, no more." Azriel pleaded as his father grabbed his arm and jerked him upright before slapping him hard in the face. The child whimpered and held his stinging cheek.

"Bill pays more. You'll do what he likes! Little bastard. If I have to keep you, you're gonna earn your own way." The man seemed to get more angry at every word and hit the child again. "S'all you're good for anyway. Too weak to do anything else… too useless. Just a little slut like your mother." The man began dragging his son back the direction they had come. Piccolo watched from the tree still, and he suddenly realized what that man meant to do to his child. His own child… Rage building inside of him, Piccolo flew down and blocked the man from going any further.

"Put the child down." He commanded. The man, after catching one glimpse of Piccolo, immediately released the child. Once Azriel was out of his father's grasp, Piccolo tackled the large human and pinned him to the ground.

"Please… I… I'll give you anything you want… just don't hurt me." The human whimpered.

"What if what I want is to hurt you? You like dishing out pain on those smaller than you, hm?"

"No… it…it isn't like that. H-he's a very disobedient child. I do it for his own good." The man stuttered and struggled fruitlessly against Piccolo's grasp.

"You sell your son's body to other's for his own good? You… you force yourself on a child." Piccolo snarled and looked over at Azriel who was curled up again, trembling. An evil smile worked it's way onto the Namek's lips and he returned his gaze to the frightened man. "Hm…"

"Please… let me go. I'll leave the boy here, if that's what you want… just don't kill me."

"Pathetic coward… you don't like it when you're the prey, do you? When you're the one taking the blows." Piccolo raised a fist and landed it in the man's face. The human cried out and tears of pain streaked his face. "Oh, you're going to cry. Like a little boy. Like that little boy." He pointed to Azriel. The man whimpered and closed his eyes. "Doesn't feel good, does it? I'm bigger… I'm stronger than you… this is what you do to him. Perhaps we should go to your home…"

"No…"

"And I could tell 'Bill' that you want to be his toy. You'll earn your money then, won't you?" Piccolo stood up, holding the man by the front of his shirt. "You don't deserve to live."

"Please…"

"Filth…" Piccolo threw the man to the ground and kicked him in the side. "Tell me why you should live."

"I…I…" 

"Sorry. Not quick enough." Raising one hand, Piccolo formed a small ball of energy and threw it at the man's face… incinerating him. The namek thought he heard him scream, but realized that it had been the child. He turned to Azriel and helped him stand.

"You… you killed him…" The child looked up at Piccolo, eyes shining with tears, snot dripping from his nose, sobs making his chest hitch…

"Yes. He can't hurt you anymore. None of them can." Piccolo leaned down and gathered the little human in his arms, holding him close. Azriel pressed his face to the collar around Piccolo's neck and cried. 

"Come…" Piccolo murmured and began to carry the boy out of the forest.

***

A/N- Well, that was short. It was a spur of the moment thing like I said before… but, eh. I know Piccolo may be a bit out of character. But he had to play hero in this story, so gimme some slack. Reviews are a welcome addition to any story by the way. ~~Uzume


End file.
